Colorado Ultrasound Tech Programs

New graduates celebrate with their families at their nursing commencement ceremony.

How to Become a Sonography in Colorado - Sonography Programs in Colorado

The field of sonography can be a very rewarding job to have. Because you are the one who is doing the sonography in order to check for masses, tumors, cysts, and, yes, even babies, you are the one who helps the doctor figure out what is wrong with the patient and set them on a course for proper treatment. There are actually several specialties within the sonography category: abdominal sonography, neurosonography, OB/GYN sonography, breast sonography, and musculoskeletal sonography. Each of the different specializations concentrates on specific areas or systems of the body.

If you want to be an abdominal sonographer, you will concentrate your skills on the abdomen and the organs that are nearby like the liver and the kidneys. The neurosonographer takes care of the sonography for the entire nervous system, which does include your brain. OB/GYN sonography naturally concentrates on the female reproductive system and is largely used during pregnancy or to find masses in the female reproductive system. Breast sonography concentrates on the breasts and breast tissues. Musculoskeletal sonography concentrates on the muscles, ligaments, and the like. Each of these specialties is important and worth going into. It is all a matter of what area of the body interests you the most.

In order to become a sonographer, you need to either earn an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree. After that, some states require certification and licensure. If you do get certification, that is when you will seek a specialty. You do not have to get certified in only one specialty either. You can get certified in them all if you so please. The more specialties you have, the more you will earn in salary because you will be a tremendous asset to the place where you work. Also, most hospitals are only hiring sonographers who are certified, so you should just automatically go ahead and take the exam after graduating.

As with any career, salary is important. And if you want to be a sonographer, you will not be disappointed with the salary you will earn. The average salary for a sonographer is $64,000 a year. Of course, it will be more depending on the number of specialties you have, the area where you work, and who you work for. You can't enter this field just for the money though. You will be interacting with patients a lot and most of them will be getting your services because of the possibility of masses or tumors. So, you need to have a friendly personality and able to put your patients at ease while you work.

Colorado Board of Nursing
1560 Broadway, Suite 880
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 894-2430
Fax: (303) 894-2821

Colorado Nurses Association

• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
• Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment